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The Conjuring 2 is one of those rare things where the sequel does not suck ass, which honestly surprised the hell out because most horror sequels just fall flat and become cash grabs. After that Annabelle disaster I was not expecting much from this whole universe thing but James Wan came back and reminded everyone how to actually do a proper scary movie, the man knows what he is doing behind the camera and it shows in every single scene, yesterday I put out the review for "The Devil Made Me Do It" that is not directed by Wan and you can notice the difference. This time Ed and Lorraine Warren head to England to deal with the Enfield case which involves a family getting terrorized by some spirit that latches onto this little girl Janet, just as the first one its a similar concept and even though it still works great, it goes straight into building tension from the start, just nonstop anxiety, one creepy moment after another without giving you much time to breathe. The scares here are not just cheap jump scares where something pops out of nowhere, the movie shows the ghost face right in front giving it body and character from the start not just an invisible entity opening doors, this gives the brain a second to process what is happening before it actually hits, that is what makes it feel organic and way more effective. The young actress playing Janet did a damn good job carrying a lot of the weight, if she had been bad the whole thing would have fallen apart but she nailed it, the second part gets into the investigation stuff where the movie plays with the idea of whether this is all a show or not, kids lie all the time so that doubt adds another layer to it. James Wan uses sounds from the time where the movie develops like the TV or the squeaky couch, its so immersive that even familiar situations scary again, he makes the whole thing work when it could have easily been another forgettable horror movie because again its the same concept as the first one just told different under different conditions, work out better than I expected, many sequels just sux because they cant do better than the first one.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3065204/
• Platform: HULU

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Source The Hodgson family situation is what makes this work way better than most possession movies, because you actually give a shit about these people, Peggy is a single mom who hasnt received child support in three months and she is barely holding things together with four kids in a house that is literally falling apart around them. The movie does such a good job showing how broke they are without making it feel preachy or over done, Billy always asking for cookies but mom cant afford them and you can see how much that eats at her, she wants to spoil her kids but she cant even keep the lights on half the time. This isnt some perfect happy family getting torn apart by evil like in the first movie, these people are already struggling before any of this supernatural crap even starts happening, which makes it feel so much worse when things go sideways and when that old man spirit Bill Wilkins starts possessing Janet and throwing furniture around the family cant just pack up and leave because they got nowhere else to go. The neighbors see whats happening, the cops show up and actually witness the paranormal activity which never happens in these movies, usually the ghost hides when authority figures arrive but not this time, Bill Wilkins does not give a damn who shows up, he is making his presence known to everybody. Peggy is doing her best to protect her kids while also dealing with people thinking she is crazy or that her daughter is faking everything for attention, Madison Wolfe who plays Janet really sells the exhaustion, the pain and fear of being terrorized night after night by the end of the movie she looks like she has aged many years from all the stress and trauma, and its one of the best child performances I have seen in the franchise.

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Source On this sequel you can tell James Wan had access to way more money to work with compared to the first movie, I would assume this based on the camera work that is insane with all these long takes that glide through rooms and hallways building up tension without needing to cut away every two seconds. The way he uses shadows and lighting to hide things in plain sight is brilliant, just like when Bill appears on the couch in plain day light, there are moments where you swear you see something in the background but when you look closer its just a shadow, then other times its actually the demon and it messes with your head. The opening sequence with the Amityville case is intense as hell even though it has nothing to do with the main story, Lorraine gets pulled into a vision where she experiences the murders, and sees this demonic nun Valak who threatens to kill Ed if they dont stop investigating paranormal cases and finding out that was the vision that messed Lorraine up so bad in the first movie was a nice touch. The chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga is still incredible, you believe they are a couple who love each other and the scene where ed plays guitar and sings an Elvis song for the Hodgson family is probably the most emotional moment in any of these movies, its such a small quiet moment but it shows who Ed really is as a person and why Lorraine needs him so much. They could have easily just made the Warrens these ghost hunting badasses without any real meaning but instead they feel like real people with real emotions and real fears about losing each other, although I have also complain in the past how this turns into a weakness for the franchise as most cases get solve by the love they have for each other or their families, then transfers to the victims in their cases too, which is what separates these movies from all the other generic horror movies but then again this is entertainment, everybody has a different taste.

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Source The demon nun Valak is creepy as hell even if I wish they had stuck with the original demon design that looked way cooler but I get why they went with the nun, because it works as a mockery of Lorraines faith and religion which makes the scares more complex at the same as it ties together with the Nun movies within the Conjuring Universe. Valak knows exactly how to mess with Lorraine by taking the form of something holy and twisting it into something evil, the painting scene where ed unknowingly paints the nuns face is very creepy because it shows the demon can get inside his head too without even letting him realize it and the name reveal thing where Valak hides its name throughout their house in random places is clever. Bill Wilkins himself is an interesting character because for most of the movie you think he is the main threat, he is the one possessing Janet and scaring the family, but then you find out he is just a pawn being used by Valak to keep the Warrens away and the old man just wants to see his family but he is trapped and cant move on. When Janet starts speaking in that deep voice as Bill it sounds nothing like an eleven year old girl could produce, even the skeptics in the movie cant explain how she is pulling that off without some kind of supernatural force being involved and the movie does a great job keeping that doubt alive, there are moments where it looks like Janet might be faking, but they keep questioning how it can be proof she is faking it because if they cant prove its real then the church wont help them.

The scares in this movie work because James Wan understands timing and atmosphere better than most horror directors that have work on the franchise, he doesnt rely on loud noises and things jumping at the camera every five minutes, the buildup is where the real fear comes from, getting to now better the characters specially those affected and tormented by the demon, there is something really special this time and is that you end up caring for Bill too even though the old man is a bastard when ever he wants to. That scene where Janet is home sick and the tv keeps changing channels by itself feels heaving within the atmosphere with rain outside and the house feeling empty and isolating, you know something bad is about to happen, but Wan takes his time letting the tension build until Bill Wilkins finally shows himself in the reflection of the tv screen. The crooked man stuff is the only part that feels unnecessary and out of place but still works so good mainly because of the lighting and the isolation of the place, it shows up twice to scare the little brother Billy, but it has nothing to do with the actual story, does feels like it was added just because they had the budget for it, that weird effect where the dog transforms into the crooked man looks cool too even though the movie is not focus on it. The climax gets a little too over the top with all the special effects, after spending two hours building this slow burn horror atmosphere it suddenly turns into this big action scene with Valak roaring and Ed almost getting him fall on a giant spike, a vision Lorraine had but its a classic cliche that the worst vision usually never end up happening, good vs evil at the end of the day. It was still intense and well done but it does feel like a downshift from the rest of the movie. Lorraine figuring out Valaks name and using it to banish the demon back to hell is satisfying even if the execution is a bit corny, the way she yells the name while Ed is dangling out a window is pure exorcist energy without having to just copy paste it, I mean we have seen almost everything about a possession from Hollywood movies so I doubt now days there is anything they can come up with that surprise anyone, as I mention its a about the build up and getting to know the characters that does the heavy lifting. The movie wraps up with everything being fine which feels a little too clean considering how brutal the haunting was, overall this is a solid 8 out of 10 for me, its not quite as tight as the first Conjuring but it does more with character development and emotional connection, which makes up for the slightly weaker pacing in the middle section and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first one or just wants to see a well made horror movie that actually tries to first make you care about the characters and then try to be scary.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #horror, #sequel, #conjuring, #enfield, #possession, #demon, #valak, #nun, #scary, #haunting, #supernatural, #england, #warren, #ghost, #paranormal, #thriller, #suspense, #family, #investigation, #2016, #jameswanm, #creepy, #terror, #exorcism, #spirit

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The Hand That Rocks the Cradle 2025 just dropped on Hulu a couple of days ago, I CAN NOT RECOMMEND this one, this is the type of script that Maika Monroe should know to just walk away, she does have a few movies I like, there is "It Follows (2014)" and most recent "Longlegs (2024)" and after sitting through this thing I got to say it feels like one of those remakes nobody really wanted, you know what I mean. The original back in 1992 had Rebecca De Mornay doing her thing as this psycho nanny and people still enjoy the drama out of that movie today because it worked, it had real tension, real scares and that whole evil woman moving into your house vibe was perfect. This new version directed by Michelle Garza Cervera tries to do something different, witch I can respect because we are in the era of lets reboot every movie from the 80s and 90s under the sun and call it "not a remake" so they add their own sauce to it and Im all in for that but honestly it just does not land the same way this time, not even close. Its got Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe in the lead roles and there both solid actors, no complaints about the performances but the script feels super lazy and you can see most of the twists coming from a mile away, its like most Fatal Attraction inspired movie, you already know wth going to happen but there are some that as I said at their own sauce and works, but this one just ruins all the suspense been so obvious and predictable.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33502160
• Platform: HULU

Rottentomatoes Rating Source The pacing drags hard in spots where it should be building tension but instead your just sitting there waiting for something interesting to happen and it takes forever. They tried adding this modern spin with queer themes and social commentary stuff that had some potential, but it comes off forced and does not add much to the story. So the basic setup is what you expect from these nanny from hell movies, Caitlin played by Winstead is this uptight pregnant attorney who represents clients in housing disputes. She meets this woman Polly played by Monroe they first meet when Caitlin is assigned to represent Polly as her attorney in a housing dispute with her landlord, then they cross paths again at the farmers market where Polly asks for the nanny job. From the start you can tell something is way off with Polly, shes got this dead look in her eyes and says weird shit that should be red flags, but everyone ignores it because the script needs them to act like sheep and just go with the expected flow.

Source Source Monroe does her best with what she was given, and she brings that creepy energy, she was doing something with her performance that gives you chills but its not Rebecca De Mornay level, nobody here is on that level honestly. Winstead plays Caitlin as this super controlling type A mom who freaks out about everything, she is obsessed with what her kids eat, staying fit and micromanaging every aspect of her familys life, witch makes her annoying to watch I guess that was good to a certain point because the movie is making you feel at least something but then there is nothing that tame her down, nothing in contrast to keep things balance. The husband Miguel played by Raul Castillo is my biggest issue with this movie because this dude is the weakest, most spineless character I have seen in forever. Every time Caitlin tries to tell him something is wrong with Polly, he brushes her off, acts like she is paranoid, even when she has legit concerns, he is like nah your crazy and it gets frustrating watching it play out. I get the movie is showing maritial problems and how Polly uses that against them but damn this guy needed to have his wifes back once. There was a scene where the nanny gives there 10 year old daughter fireworks and the kid almost blows her hands off in her bedroom and Miguels response is basically well you hired her, like are you serious, your daughter almost got hurt bad and your defending the nanny, it makes no sense. The script tries giving him depth by making him Mexican, throwing in lines about feeling like an outsider but it goes nowhere, its just there to check boxes. The mystery of why Pollys doing this takes forever to get revealed and when it happens, its not terrible, turns out Caitlin used to be named Jennifer as a teenager.

Source Source She burned down Pollys family house killing everyone except Polly, because Pollys dad was sexually abusing both Jennifer and his own daughter for years and nobody believed Jennifer, so she changed her name and moved on, while Polly grew up in foster care plotting revenge for like 30 years and some change, its dark as hell, worse than the original motivation. But the movie does not do enough with it, by the time you find out you are like men its too late for surprises because after that the movie feels like its over there is nothing to carry the momentum because the pacing dragged so long and nothing shocking happened to keep you interested enough. Polly spends most the movie doing small sabotage like switching Caitlyns meds with meth, adding sugar to the kids food, starting little fires, witch feels tame compared to the original. There was also this thing where Polly might be attracted to Caitlin , because Caitlyns bisexual and that adds psychological manipulation that could of been interesting and they could have added some kind of obsession potentially sexual to mix things up but I guess then wanted to stick to the original story, but the movie does not commit to be revolutionary or changes things up, it teases it then drops it.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #hulu, #remake, #thriller, #horror, #review, #disappointing, #nanny, #psycho, #winstead, #monroe, #lazy, #predictable, #streaming, #forgettable, #original, #comparison, #weak, #rushed, #ending, #sabotage, #revenge, #mystery, #violence, #generic, #filler

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The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It had its moment when it dropped back in 2021, two out of three is not bad for a trilogy if you think about it. I have been watching the entire franchise after the Last Rite drop, in fact I though would be the ending of it but now they working on spin offs, the Devil Made Me Do It starts strong with a powerful exorcism scene with this kid David getting possessed, its wild how things start off but then everything just sort of tame down after that and never really comes back up. The trailer got me thinking this was going to have some serious courtroom action mixed with all the horror stuff, almost like they were going for that Emily Rose vibe but turns out the court part was just there to kick things off and get Ed and Lorraine running around playing detective for most part of the movie. Not like the first two entries that had everything contained inside a house, a family dealing with paranormal crap in these super tense spaces where every corner could have something waiting for you. When a horror movie takes place in a home it sticks with you because we all live in houses / apartment, you know what I mean, but this third one goes in a completely different direction by turning it into this investigation where the Warrens are jumping from place to place trying to track down some witch who put a curse on people. The detective angle could have been interesting if they had done it right, but this movie just dragged and nothing about it felt scary to me. Most of the supernatural stuff was just effects happening to remind you there is still demons involved, like the possessed people just bend backwards and scream which gets old real fast. The witch part had some cool moments but when thats the best thing about a Conjuring movie you know something went sideways during production.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7069210/
• Platform: PRIME VIDEO

Rottentomatoes Rating

Source The movie is all over the place with no clear direction or focus on any one idea, at least thats my perception. The startup scene I was talking about is David getting an exorcism performed on him, the movie seem to try way too hard to copy The Exorcist with those camera angles and the way they framed certain shots that makes it look frame by frame like the exorcist. Ed is doing his thing reading from religious texts, Lorraine is having her visions like always, the kid is doing that wall crawling routine I have seen in every possession movie ever made. Then you got Arnie who is dating Davids sister Debbie and he goes ahead and does probably the stupidest move possible by telling the demon to take him instead of the kid, I get it he did out of good heart because he couldn't take the pressure anymore, every single horror movie tells you not to invite evil into your body but this guy does it anyway without thinking twice about it. The demon obviously jumps at the chance for a new host because why wouldnt it, free fresh meat, then Ed has a heart attack right in the middle of everything which the movie uses as a way to keep him on the sidelines even though he bounces back pretty quick and starts investigating like nothing happened. After this first drive through exorcism happens then the whole movie shifts into this procedural format where its less about scaring you and more about watching Ed and Lorraine investigate clues like some kind of supernatural police, for some time its entertaining but then starts to drag, I know Im complaining a bit on this post but the truth is that this entire franchise is a hit and miss, what helps is that there are multiple movies on it to cover up. Arnie winds up stabbing his landlord Bruno to death while he is under the demons control, at least thats what we are suppose to believe but the murder scene plays out with Call Me by Blondie playing in the background to be all creepy. Using an 80s pop song during a killing is not scary at all, then the rest of the movie is just the Warrens attempting to prove Arnie was possessed so he doesnt get executed for murder. This could have been a cool legal thriller mixed with horror but they barely show any courtroom scenes, just one part where the lawyer brings up demonic possession as a defense and everyone acts shocked before cutting back to more detective work. They go around finding these little curse totems, talking to priests about satanic shit, visiting crime scenes where Lorraine uses her powers to see flashbacks of previous murders, none of it feels like something new to the franchise or even exciting.

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Source The big twist ends up being some witch named Ilsa who is behind all the cursing and murdering, she just happens to be the daughter of this priest Father Kastner who they consulted earlier in the movie. Like what are the chances that out of every expert they could have gone to for help they pick the one guy whose kid is the actual villain, thats the kind of lazy writing that makes you think why they decided to make the answer so lame instead of working on a more complex mystery. Ilsa has been using these totems to curse random people and make them kill each other as sacrifices for a demon, Isla's whole deal in the movie is pretty straightforward but also kinda messed up, she is basically obsessed with Satan and the dark arts, and she was trying to complete this curse to gain power. The curse requires her to deliver souls to a demon through human sacrifices, specifically three people need to die, one by murder and one by suicide from three different "components". They try to make it seem mysterious by having Kastner say you cant understand satanists because they just do evil stuff for no reason, which is honestly the weakest excuse for a villian I have heard in a while because even in horror movies the bad guys need proper motivations that make sense. The climax takes place in these underground tunnels beneath Kastners house where Ilsas altar is all set up with candles and pentagrams and typical satanic looks, Ed has to smash the altar with a sledgehammer while Lorraine fights off possessed Ed who is trying to bash her head in with that same hammer, the scene was very intense until we fall for the same thing over and over, love. She breaks the possession by reminding him about their love story and how they met at a movie theater and had ice cream at some gazebo, its corny as hell but it works because the power of love beats demons apparently. Ed destroys the altar, the curse lifts, Arnie stops freaking out in his jail cell, then the demon shows up to punish Ilsa for not delivering the souls she promised by snapping her arms backwards and dragging her off to hell. That arm breaking effect was probably the only decent scare in the entire movie, everything else was pretty tame and predictable compared to what the earlier movies delivered.

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Source The ending has Arnie getting convicted of manslaughter even after the curse gets broken so the entire investigation was worthless because they couldn't get him out of jail, but its also the most realistic part of the whole thing because no judge or jury is going to accept the devil made me do it as a valid defense no matter what evidence you present, we taling about factual events, you might get less years and send to an institution but you are going to complete your time one way or another. He marries Debbie while locked up and they stay together which is kind of sweet but also depressing when you remember he is serving time for killing someone while possessed by a demon that wasnt his fault. The movie wraps everything up with Ed building Lorraine a gazebo replica from their first date decades ago, they kiss and act all happy despite just finishing one of their most dangerous cases according to the story. Problem is nothing ever feels dangerous or tense during the movie but Im not sure if thats exactly what they were going for with the investigator role they added, the scares are weak, the story jumps around without any smooth flow, the villain Ilsa just looks like some angry librarian instead of an actual terrifying supernatural threat. She doesnt do anything particularly that sticks with you, just stands around looking pissed off and doing witch stuff in the shadows.

What made those first two Conjuring movies work so damn well was James Wan behind the camera, he understood how to build real suspense and create moments that made you jump or feel genuinly unsettled long after watching. This third one got directed by Michael Chaves who also did The Curse of La Llorona which was one of the worst entries in the whole Conjuring universe, you can tell the difference immediately because this one has none of that Wan style or those carefully crafted scares that made the originals so effective, this one is more telegraph and obvious. Its not the worst horror movie that I have seen by no means but Im a fan of the franchise so its just obvious that Im going to demand more from it, for a Conjuring movie it falls way short and close a the trilogy on a pretty weak note back then if this was the last time we see Ed and Lorraine as main characters, years latter we find out it was not the case and probably why decided to drop the 2025 addition. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga still bring their A game like they always do, their chemistry together remains the best part of these movies and probably the only thing keeping it from being complete trays, sorry but not sorry. Even with their solid performances they cant save a script this messy and dull that doesnt give them much to work with besides walking around investigating stuff and having romantic flashbacks. I would give it maybe a 7 out of 10 at best, its not that bad bad bad or unwatchable but its not the best Conjuring movie out there, thats the problem with sequels, we all expect that its going to top off the previous movie, although this one just exists as this average horror movie that doesnt scare you or leave any real impression once the credits roll, I have seen horror movies that are not scary but intense as fuck, they could have also took that route but didnt.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #conjuring, #horror, #possession, #exorcism, #demon, #witch, #thriller, #supernatural, #murder, #trial, #warren, #investigation, #curse, #satanic, #sequel, #totem, #courtroom, #ritual, #devil, #priest, #tunnels, #altar, #librarian, #disappointed, #mediocre

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Black Phone 2 came out swinging harder than most people expected and honestly it set his up for possible franchise almost trying to take Nightmare on Elm Street place and I would usually notice this but didnt even care about with Gwen and Finn were doing so great, yes there are areas where the movie lacks but the fight scenes were awesome and the chemistry between brothers was on point. When they first announced a sequel I was sitting there thinking okay how the hell are they going to pull this off, The Grabber died in the first movie so what now, are they going to resurrect him and make some weird ghost story that does not make sense, is the Grabber the new Jason?. But Scott Derrickson really knows what he is doing with horror because this thing actually worked way better than I thought, it makes you care about the character without the need to really scare you to death. The whole supernatural angle they went with feels like a mix of Nightmare on Elm Street vibes without being a straight up copy, they made it their own thing and those dream sequences were absolutely insane to watch, shot on grainy looking stuff that gave it this creepy old school feel. Madeleine McGraw as Gwen basically steals the whole damn movie, she loves to run her mouth on everyone else, she is the one dealing with most of the horror stuff this time around, her character goes through so much shit in this movie that by the end I was actually feeling bad for her. Mason Thames returns as Finny and the kid has grown up, not just physically but his whole vibe is different now, he is angrier and more closed off because of what happened in the first movie witch makes total sense when you think about it. The movie picks up four years after the events from the first one and both kids are still dealing with trauma but in very different ways, Finny beats up anyone who even mentions what happened to him and Gwen is having these crazy dreams that feel more intense than anything she experienced before.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29644189/

Rottentomatoes Rating

Source The first 45 minutes drag a bit but its mainly because the movie is setting everything up and reintroducing the characters witch is fine but it feels slow as hell before things actually start happening. You get this whole mystery about dead kids and phone calls and some camp called Alpine Lake that The Grabber used to work at back in the 60s, they use to call him Wild Bill Hickok although he kept saying that was not his name, he was the janitor there witch is such a cliche but whatever it works I guess. Once the mystery kicks in and we start learning more about The Grabber and his past though, that is when the movie gets you locked in and wont even think about taking a break. They do not ruin the character by explaining too much but they give you enough to understand how he came back and some of that backstory actually made me look at the first movie differently witch is always cool when a sequel can do that. The whole idea is that The Grabber killed three boys at this camp way back and their bodys were never found so their souls are trap and that is what gives him power to come back as this supernatural force, its like he is stuck between life and death and can mess with people in their dreams now and in real life, talk about hybrid situation. Ethan Hawke does not get as much screen time this round but when he shows up its effective, his voice work is really creepy and menacing even though you can not always see him on screen witch was an interesting choice.

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Source The movie realy goes hard with the gore and violence this time, like way harder than the first one with multiple scenes where kids get killed on screen even felt like a slasher at times, they show you the damage and its brutal as hell, one scene involves an axe to the face and another has someone getting dragged across a frozen lake and it looks pain full as shit. Gwen ends up at this Christian camp for a weekend with Finny and this new "boyfriend" named Ernesto who is actually the younger brother of Robin from the first movie witch I did not realize until he and Finn talk about Robin. The camp is closed because of a massive snow storm so they are stuck there with just a few counselors and of course that is when The Grabber starts showing up in the dream world but also messing with people in real life to. They do this thing where he has powers in both the death and the life realm and throws Gwen around a room and everyone can see it happening but they can not see him witch was a cool scene even though it raises some questions about the rules, so they did Krueger but change the rules?! I know many are going to pick up on this one and say hheeellll nah, but I have to admit it was entertaining, besides there is a big generation that dont even know who the F is Freddy Crugger. The Grabber can attack people in real life why does he even need the dream stuff, it felt like the movie was making up rules as it went along sometimes but I was having to much fun to really care that much. The way they shot the dream sequences on that grainy super 8 looking camera was perfect, it gave you a visual cue so you always knew when someone was dreaming versus awake and the music in those scenes was creepy as hell to.

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Source The final fight happens on this frozen lake where the three dead boys bodys are hidden under the ice and Gwen has to dive into the freezing water to pull them out, all this while she is dreaming, this so their souls can be free witch will take away The Grabbers power. Now here is where I had some issues because Gwen jumps into sub zero water and somehow does not die from hypothermia or drown even though she is under there for like five minutes because yes he is on her dreams and her body outside but if the rules apply when she gets cut by the Grabber during her dreams I mean her body bleeds too then why her body doesnt freeze too? they show her body getting all wet by water like water came out of her so this are some of the inconsistencies I can call on, the movie established that if you get hurt in the dream you get hurt in real life so why does that not apply here. The Grabber shows up wearing ice skates made of frozen blood on his feet and he is skating around the lake trying to kill everyone witch sounds ridiculουs but it actually looked cool as hell. Finny ends up fighting him even though he cant see him and starts bashing his face into the ice until he is just a bloody mess, then the dead boys grab him and drag him down to the bottom of the lake and that is supposed to be the end of him, BUT I notice before going down he grabs his mask, he doesnt leave it behind, what does that means?. The ending clearly explains that Gwen's dreams are her gift and not a curse and gives her some closure about everything that happened, it was a sweet moment and Madeleine McGraw really sold it with her acting even though we never see the mom on screen. I wish they would have killed more people honestly, the body count felt low for how brutal some of the kills were and The Grabber deserved to rack up more victims to really show how dangerous he still is even as a ghost or whatever supernatural thing he became, on the first movie they gave him all that body count but we never got to see anything about it.

Overall this movie worked for me way more than I expected, I know some people are going to hate that opinion but I am just being real here, its entertainment that you cant take too serious unless you are a hard core fan of Nightmare on Elm Street, if they keep making these and come up with smart ways to bring The Grabber back I would not mind seeing more. The first movie was great but it felt like a complete story that did not need a sequel, this one justifies its existence by going bigger and crazier with the supernatural elements. Scott Derrickson clearly loves Nightmare on Elm Street and you can feel that influence all over this movie, some people might say it copy to much from Freddy Krueger but when you have not had a thing from that franchise in so long you cant denied that even if Krueger never existed Black Phone 2 is a cool movie. The relationship between Finny and Gwen is still the heart of the story and watching them work together to stop The Grabber again was satisfying, they both grew as characters and dealt with their trauma in ways that felt earned by the end. I have to admit the setup takes to long and yes some of the logic does not make sense but once this thing gets going its a wild ride that kept me entertained the whole way. I would give Black Phone 2 a solid 8 out of 10, its not perfect but its a hell of a lot better than most horror sequels we get these days and if you liked the first one you should definitely check this out.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #horror, #sequel, #supernatural, #thriller, #dreams, #grabber, #revenge, #ghost, #nightmare, #violence, #gore, #mystery, #camp, #frozen, #trauma, #psychic, #killer, #slasher, #suspense, #scary, #brutal, #terrifying, #death, #survival, #haunted

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The Black Phone turned out way better than I thought it would be based on the idea that it was another serial killer movie, this thing could have gone completely off the rails with that whole idea of a kid stuck in a basement getting phone calls from dead people but Scott Derrickson somehow made it work without turning it into some cheesy mess. When you first hear about the concept you think okay this sounds interesting but theres no way they can pull this off for a full two hour movie. Ethan Hawke is absolutely terrifying even though you never really see his face the entire time because of that creepy ass mask he wears with multiple stages like no mouth or nose, the smile, the sad face, the dude manages to be scary just through his voice and the way he moves around, very Mandalorian like when Pedro Pascal bring the character to life. You got these kids dealing with some really dark shit at home with an abusive drunk father who beats them with a belt and then on top of that you got this serial killer running around town snatching up children left and right, but the center of the movie is the relationship between Finney and his sister Gwen. Those two kids can actually act and you end up caring way more about what happens to them than most horror movies, specially Gwen who has this mouth on her that made me laugh because she is swearing out adults and talking shit to cops and praying to Jesus in the most hilarious ways, that moment she wakes up and pulls a "Jesus what the fuck, no dreams?", she has these psychic dreams that show her clues about where the kids are getting taken witch ties into their dead mother who also had visions and ended up killing herself because of it. The jump scares actually work here too, most movies just throw them in for no damn reason but in this one they feel earned and they add to the tension instead of feeling cheap and lazy, Scott Derrickson knows his way around horror because the guy made Sinister witch was creepy as hell so you know he understands how to build up that suspense and make you feel uncomfortable without going completely overboard with the gore and violence.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7144666/
• Platform: PRIME VIDEO

Rottentomatoes Rating

Source Ethan Hawke dissapears into this role as The Grabber, you forget your watching the guy from Training Day because he becomes this twisted psycho who kidnaps kids and plays these sick games with them before killing them, the mask design is brilliant too because it comes in different pieces so he can change up his expression depending on what kind of mood hes in or what kind of game hes playing. The devil horns on top and then the bottom part can be a smile or a sad phase or nothing at all, that was a very creative touch, when Finney rips the mask off near the end and The Grabber just completely freaks out at first I though it was because he had to be disfigured or something but then I realize thats his safe place, the mask gave him some kind of power, he cant handle being seen without it because then he probably dont want to do those things in the first place, makes me think someone really abuse him as a kid. The whole movie has this vintage 1970s look to it that really works, it feels like your watching something from that era with the way they shot it and the colors they used, everything has this kind of washed out look that makes it seem more real and less like a polished Hollywood production witch adds to the whole atmosphere of danger and isolation, specially during Gwen dreams. The dead kids calling Finney through the disconnected phone could have been really dumb but it works even when kids disappear like they were just ghosts, each one gives him a different piece of the puzzle to help him escape, some of them work but others dont, its how each one of them try to escape, like one kid tells him about the hole in the floor, another one tells him about the cable in the wall, another one gives him the combination to the front door lock. Its like each of the dead kids are doing there part to make sure this bastard finally gets stopped so there deaths werent completely pointless and meaningless, the kid who plays Finney does a great job of showing how terrified he is but also how he was slowly building up the courage to fight back, you can see the change in him as the movie goes on from this scared kid who cant even stand up to bullies at school to someone whos willing to bash someones head in with a phone to survive.

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Source The movie does have some issues tho, like theres a bunch of stuff that gets left hanging at the end with no real answers or closure, you never find out why The Grabber is doing this, like what his deal is or why he targets these specific kids or what his childhood was like. The movie hints that maybe he was abused as a kid in that same basement but they never actually confirm it or go into detail, his brother Max is staying upstairs the whole time doing coke and working on this investigation into the kidnappings without realizing his own brother is the damn killer witch is pretty funny in a dark way but also feels like wasted potential because they could have done more with that character. He just seemed like a strange addition without much purpose except to show how oblivious people can be to whats happening right under there nose, the whole subplot with Gwens psychic dreams and the detectives feels like it belongs in a different movie sometimes because it takes away from the tension of Finney being trapped in that basement trying to survive. Every time it cuts away to her riding her bike around town looking for the house from her dreams it kills the momentum, but at the same time her character is so damn good that you dont mind it too much, she absolutely steals every scene she is in with that mouth of hers and the way she talks to adults like they are idiots. The pacing drags a bit in the middle too when your waiting for something to happen but Finney just keeps getting this calls that end up on failed attempts to escape, there are moments where it feels like the movie is spinning around instead of moving forward, but then it picks back up again when things start getting intense with Finney trying different escape plans that the dead kids give him through the phone.

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Source The ending is badass tho, Finney uses everything the dead kids taught him and sets up this improvise trap, he trips The Grabber into the hole with the cable, smashes his face with the dirt filled phone, rips off his mask and then strangles him to death with the phone cord while the ghosts of the dead kids talk to him through the receiver telling him to finish it, although it was kinda convenient for Finney that taking the mask did the trick because The Grabber totally breaks down when that happens and didnt even try to fight back but just covers his face. It was satisfying as hell to watch this kid who started out so scared and helpless turn into this survivor who takes down a serial killer, the whole sequence is brutal with Finney finally loosing it and going full savage mode, you really feel every hit and every moment of Finneys rage coming out after everything he has been through with his abusive father and the bullies at school and now this psycho trying to kill him. When he finally gets out of that basement Gwen was waiting for him right outside the house, well she though it was the house across the street, theres this sense of relief but also this understanding that things are never going to be the same for this family, they all went through hell and came out the other side but not without some baggage. When Finney goes back school was one of the most satisfiying moments as now everyone respects him without even saying a word even the kids who use to bully him, showing how the experience changed him and made him stronger even if it also messed him up, Scott Derrickson and Ethan Hawke make a hell of a team because there previous collaboration on Sinister was awesome and this one just set the bar higher for them.

I give The Black Phone like an 8 out of 10, its defintely worth watching if you want a horror movie that actually tries to be scary and tell a real story instead of just relying on cheap jump scares and gore, the acting is solid across the board especially from the kids who carry most of the emotional weight. The atmosphere and cinematography are on point, the villain is creepy and menacing without being over the top and it keeps you locked in for the whole movie even when it drags a bit in the middle during those slower moments, it is not perfect because of the pacing issues and the lack of answers about The Grabbers backstory leaving room for a sequel or even a franchise, plus that whole psychic sister subplot sound like unnecessary at first but latter on plays out very well, but overall this is one of the best horror movies to come out in recent years because it feels like it has some actual substance, story and heart to it instead of just being another forgettable slasher or evil possession story. The relationship between Finney and Gwen is really what makes the movie work because you care about these kids and want to see them make it out alive, the 1970s setting adds a lot to the dread too by making everything feel more isolated and dangerous since there are no cell phones or internet to call for help, just a disconnected phone that somehow connects to the dead witch sounds ridiculous but works surprisingly well , if your looking for a solid horror movie that will actually keep you interested and maybe even make you jump a few times then give The Black Phone a shot, just dont expect all your questions to get answered by the end because some things are left hanging there without closure.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #horror, #phone, #kidnapping, #supernatural, #ghosts, #murder, #thriller, #masks, #basement, #escape, #psychic, #dreams, #violence, #revenge, #brother, #sister, #bullies, #magician, #killer, #survivor, #tension, #scary, #blumhouse, #ethan, #sinister

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The Curse of La Llorona came out back in 2019 and I remember hearing all this noise about it been part of the Conjuring universe because James Wan was producing it, they even threw in Father Perez from the Annabelle movies to make that connection feel more real but after watching it I can tell you none of that matters when the actual movie is this boring and lazy. This thing made like 123 million dollars worldwide which is insane to me because it really did not deserve any of that success, the whole thing feels like they were just trying to cash in on people who wanted to see something about Mexican folklore and instead gave them this forgettable mess that does not do anything interesting with the legend at all, its just another jump scare fest that you will probably not remember a week from now. Linda Cardellini plays this social worker named Anna whose husband died and she is raising two kids on her own, she works for Child Protective Services and gets involved with this case where a mom is trying to protect her kids from La Llorona by locking them up in a closet but of course Anna thinks the mom is crazy and takes the kids away which ends up getting them killed. The mom warns her that she just made a huge mistake and that La Llorona is gonna come after her own kids now, then boom the ghost starts showing up at her house and you already know where this is heading because every single haunting movie does the exact same thing, there is no originality here at all.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4913966/

Rottentomatoes Rating Source What really pisses me off about this movie is that they had all the pieces to actually make something good, the legend of La Llorona is genuinely creepy and has been scaring kids for generations in Mexican culture, its about this woman who drowns her own children in a river after she finds her husband cheating on her with someone younger and then she kills herself out of guilt, now she is cursed to wander around looking for kids to replace the ones she murdered. That is dark as hell and there is so much you could do with that story but instead they just made another generic jump scare movie where the ghost pops out from behind corners and screams really loud to make you jump, I am not saying jump scares are always bad but when that is literally all you got going for you then your movie sucks. The scares are so predictable that you see them coming from a mile away, its always the same setup where someone hears a noise and walks slowly towards it and then La Llorona jumps out and screams, they do this like twenty times throughout the entire movie and it gets old real fast after the third or fourth time.

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Source There are a couple moments that were neat, this is why I dont completely trash this movie and at least gave it a 5 although I wouldnt recommend it, like when the little girl opens that see through umbrela by the pool and you can see the ghost standing there for a second, that was actually pretty cool because it did not rely on a loud noise to scare you, it was just this creepy flash that gets you, but most of the scares are just loud and annoying and they do not actually make you feel scared, they just make you jump for a second and then you move on and forget about it five minutes later because there is like no real horror in them, its like they were not even trying to build any real tension or atmosphere. The movie also tries to throw in some random humor that does not fit at all with the rest of the tone, like there is this character played by Raymond Cruz who shows up in the third part and he is supposed to be this ex priest who uses science and religion to fight ghosts or whatever, he has some funny lines but it feels so out of place in a movie that is trying to be a serious horror story, its like they could not decide if they wanted to make a scary movie or a comedy.

Source Source I would say that the worst part of the movie is that the characters itself felt kinda lame and stupid, its like the girl in Annabelle Comes Home that actually kick on the movie by doing dumb stuff, same here they make so many dumb decisions just so the plot can keep moving forward and its frustrating to watch people been this idiotic. There is this one scene where they set up all these protections around the house to keep La Llorona out, they use these special seeds from a tree or something and it creates a barier that she can not cross, but then the little girl sees her doll outside the barrier and she reaches for it and breaks the line and lets the ghost in, like come on where the fuck is the adult looking for this children. Your mom just told you that this ghost is trying to kill you and you are gonna risk everyones life for a stupid toy, it makes no sense and its just lazy writting to create drama. After I think about, her mom is just the same sht, she notice burn marks on her kids arms that look exactly like the ones from the other kids who died and she does not even ask about it and just ignores it until the detective shows up and accused her ass for been abusive to her own kids, this is another clear example of either they high, crazy or stupid and the movie feeds from this stupidity so they could have that scene where she almost gets arrested and you are sitting there thinking how can she not see whats going on.

The whole movie just felt lazy to me like they were not even trying to do something diferent or interesting, they were just checking boxes and rushing through everything to get to the next jump scare without caring about building any real story or characters that you actually care about. The pacing is weird too because nothing really happens for the first half of the movie and then in the third part they try to cram in all this stuff about the legend and how to stop La Llorona but its too late by then because you already stopped caring about what happens to these people. They have this whole thing where they rub eggs all over the house to detect evil spirits and it looks so dumb, I know its supposed to be a real Mexican tradition or whatever but the way they did it just felt forced and cheesy like they were trying too hard to make it feel authentic. At the end they defeat La Llorona by showing her one of the necklaces that belonged to her dead children and she just gives up and leaves, no big climax or anything just oh here is your dead kids necklace now go away, it was such a weak ending that left me feeling like I wasted my time watching this garbage. The Curse of La Llorona is rated R for some reason even though there is nothing in it that would make it deserve that rating, they could have easily made it PG 13 and probably made more money off of it, there is no real violence or gore or anything disturbing its just a watered down horror movie that tries to act like its scarier than it actually is. This is one of those movies that makes me mad because it had potential and they completely wasted it, they took a genuinely scary legend and turned it into another forgettable mess, if you want to see a good horror movie go watch something like Hereditary or The Conjuring or even Sinister, do not waste your time with this one unless you just want to see some predictable jump scares and bad acting, I would give this thing a 5 out of 10 and that is been very very generous.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #horror, #llorona, #weeping, #woman, #ghost, #scary, #jumpscare, #conjuring, #annabelle, #legend, #mexican, #folklore, #supernatural, #haunting, #spirit, #curse, #thriller, #suspense, #terror, #scream, #demon, #paranormal, #possession, #ritual, #exorcism

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Bone Lake is one of those movies that sounds stupid as hell when you try explaining it to somebody but then you actually sit down and watch it and realize this thing works way better than it should, a couple goes on vacation to this really nice Airbnb and another couple shows up because of a double booking situation and they all decide to share the mansion instead of one group leaving and things get weird real fast like really weird. Mercedes Bryce Morgan directed this thing and she knows how to handle these kind of story where people are trying to keep up appearances even when everything around them is going to shit, the cast is solid too with Alex Roe and Maddie Hasson plus Marco Pigossi and Andra Nechita and everyone did there thing and made there characters feel real even when the situation gets absolutely crazy and honestly its the script that sometimes lags although the actors were on kill for the most time. This movie mixes thriller and horror in a way that feels a perfect mix, it touches on relationships and how complicated things are today without being preachy or annoying about it, this aspect is just good writing that makes sense for the world we live in right now, the third part is where this thing really takes off and the gore comes in heavy and the tension just explodes and you start grabbing your chair arm hard as they start to chase each other, its crazy. I didnt know what to expect and came out thinking this might be one of the best movies this year probably a top 10, sitting somewhere around an 7 or 8 for me and the ending alone makes it worth watching, if you like these kind of keeping up appearances type story where strangers show up and everyone is trying not to look bad or overreact then this one nails it.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26783625/

Rottentomatoes Rating

Source The whole setup is pretty simple when you think about it, Sage and Diego are this couple who arrive at this beautiful lake house mansion type place for a weekend getaway and you can tell right away they got some issues going on between them. Diego quit his teaching job to write a book full time witch is never a good idea unless you already got published and Sage had to leave her freelance writing to take an editor position just to pay the bills and keep things afloat, so there is already some tension there about money and career choices and you can feel it even when they are trying to have a good time. Then this other couple shows up, Will and Cin, and they claim they also booked the place for the same weekend and instead of one couple leaving like normal people would do they all decide to be adults about it and just share the damn place because its huge and has enough room for everyone. The thing is Will and Cin seem a little too friendly right from the start, like they are trying way to hard to make everyone comfortable and suggesting they all hang out and party together and play games, and you start getting this feeling that something is not right with these two but you cannot quite put your finger on what it is yet, the funny part is that they also gamble many times to push Sage and Diego away like when Will tells Diego to just "Rock, Papers, Scissors" the house and who ever wins stays, thats a free pass for them without even knowing, there are many of this during the movie.

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Source Slowly but surely I saw how the movie builds up the awkwardness and discomfort between these four people, like Will and Cin keep doing these little things that cross boundaries and make Diego and Sage uncomfortable but not enough to make them leave or cause a scene. Will ends up stealing Diegos grandmothers ring and proposing to Cin with it right in front of Diego and Diego just lets it happen instead of calling him out on it witch seems insane when you think about it but the movie does a good job of showing how people will put up with crazy shit just to avoid conflict or looking rude, if Diego had stood up it would be the end of the game still Will went for it on purpose, Will and Cin are just adrenaline junkies. Then you got Cin trying to lure Diego into her; but not in a bad way yet, and telling him she can get his book to some famous author she knows and Will is doing the same thing with Sage and trying to get in her head about there relationship problems and its all part of this game they are playing to mess with this couple and see how far they can push them before they break, they hole concept is to find out if they really love each other but mostly they just looking for the perfect couple that doesnt exist. The whole middle part of the movie is just watching these two couples interact and I was trying to figure out what the hell is actually going on, like are Will and Cin just swingers who want to have some fun or is there something darker happening here and the movie keeps you guessing for a while witch I really liked, because at first you had no prove they were the one from the first scene chasing a couple through the woods and eventually killing them to recreate a paint scene so you literally think its all mistake they bump into each other.

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Source Then shit hits the fan in the third part of the movie when Diego and Sage discover that Will and Cin actually own the house and have been doing this to other couples for a while now, by the way Sage is the one who discover all this and was so sweet that she did trust Diego after Will tried to get on her head, they find this whole murder headquarters type room with newspaper clippings about missing couples and files on all the people they have killed before and you realize these two are straight up serial killers who get off on playing these sick games with people. The twist is that Will and Sin are actually brother and sister witch I saw coming from a mile away but it still works because the movie does not try to make it seem like some huge shocking reveal, they have this whole thing where they grew up really close and killed there parents when they found out about there relationship and now they just do this for fun because they think other peoples relationships are fake and full of lies. Once the truth comes out the movie turns into a full on survival horror situation and the violence gets brutal real quick and I love this because even when the cat is out of the bag is there when the movie decides to go full throttle with violence, we are talking chainsaws and axes and people getting there faces cut off and blood everywhere and its the kind of stuff that makes you go oh damn they really went there. The final fight between these two couples is intense as hell and even though Diego and Sage seemed pretty weak and passive for most of the movie they end up fighting back hard and taking these psychos down in some really satisfying ending.

I dont want to throw dirt on the movie saying that the ending is what save this movie although the ending is the cherry on top, because after all the craziness and violence Diego and Sage end up in the boat covered in blood and he proposes to her with his grandmothers ring that he got back and she says yes and they are just laughing about the whole situation like they just survived something that brought them closer together, the craziest part is that he actually cut off Cin fingers and took the ring from her, its hilarious. Its dark as hell but it works because the movie has been building to this moment the whole time, showing how this couple who could not communicate and had all these problems ended up having to fight for there lives together was probably the moral aspect or message of the movie, even when you are going through hell things can turn better??!! at least thats what I got from it. Mercedes Bryce Morgan knows how to direct a movie that feels trashy and fun without being dumb about it, she gives you characters who feel real even when they are doing stupid things and she builds tension in a way that keeps you locked in even during the slower parts, and when the violence comes it feels earned and not just thrown in there for shock value. The whole cast does a great job making you care about what happens and the way the movie looks is gorgeous with this really nice shots outdoors that makes everything feel sweaty and intense and dangerous. I would give this thing an 7 out of 10 easy, its not perfect, it was sold as a Sex and Violence movie but it honestly lacks the sex part, its more like erotic and just that, I know some people might think the middle drags a little bit but I think it builds the tension just right and the payoff at the end makes it all worth it.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #bone, #lake, #horror, #thriller, #airbnb, #couples, #vacation, #survival, #serial, #killers, #manipulation, #tension, #violence, #gore, #twist, #relationships, #mercedes, #morgan, #maddie, #hasson, #marco, #pigossi, #sexual, #psychological, #indie

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